Touch Me
by jazzywriter22
Summary: Elena goes out of her way to avoid Damon after she kisses him on his deathbed. Three months later, Damon sneaks into her house while she gets ready for Mystic Falls' first Charity Cocktail Gala...and he isn't leaving until Elena gives him some answers. (ON PERMANENT HIATUS.)
1. Chapter 1

Elena Gilbert stood in front of her bedroom mirror wearing nothing but a set of lacy black lingerie and black high heels. She looked over at the clock on her nightstand and groaned. The clock read 7:45pm. She was already fifteen minutes late to Mystic Falls' first annual Charity Cocktail Gala at the Lockwood Mansion. As a descendant of Johnathan Gilbert, one of Mystic Falls' founding family members in 1864, she was expected to make an appearance at the event. Her younger brother Jeremy was already there, having left the house early to pick up Bonnie Bennett, his girlfriend and one of Elena's best friends. Her other best friend, Caroline Forbes, was also at the party. Elena had already received five text messages from Caroline that demanded to know where she was and why she hadn't arrived. Elena texted Caroline back and assured her friend that she would be there soon, blaming her late arrival on a "wardrobe malfunction."

Her excuse was mostly – okay, partially – honest. Elena really had no idea what to wear to this gala. A dozen or so cocktail dresses of varying amounts of silk and lace hung in her closet, but none of them felt appropriate to wear to a charity cocktail event. Her strapless ivory lace dress looked too waifish. Her silver sequined tank dress made her feel like a go-go dancer. Her favorite little black dress suddenly seemed snug in all of the wrong places. Bonnie and Caroline always assured Elena that she didn't have any wrong places where a dress could fit too tightly, but Elena wasn't willing to risk having a real wardrobe malfunction should her dress choose to split open in front of all of Mystic Falls.

Truthfully, all Elena wanted to do was take off her high heels, put on her tank top and sleep shorts, crawl back into bed and finish reading _The Perks of Being a Wallflower_, the latest book on her personal reading list. She normally loved Mystic Falls' events. She enjoyed it when everyone in the town gathered together, whether it was to celebrate their history on Founders Day or to auction off (un)willing bachelors to overpaying women. The citizens of Mystic Falls had a lot of pride in their town, and Elena liked being a part of its community. She thought it was nice to always be a part of something with so many people, but for the past three months the only person Elena could tolerate being around was Jeremy. He knew how to toe the fine line between pushing her to talk and leaving her alone, something the rest of her friends didn't seem to understand.

Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath as memories of the horrific events from three months ago filled her mind. Three months ago the Original vampire Klaus turned her Aunt Jenna into a vampire, only for her to be killed in a vampire sacrifice ritual. Her Uncle John, actually her birth father John, bound his life force to her so that she wouldn't die in the same sacrifice ritual, losing his own life in the process. Her vampire boyfriend Stefan Salvatore agreed to be Klaus' murderous wingman for the next decade in exchange for the cure to the fatal werewolf bite that his older (vampire) brother Damon received. While on his deathbed, Damon told her that he loved her, and she kissed him just as her vampire doppelganger Katherine arrived with the cure for Damon's bite-infected arm. Everything in Elena's life changed three months ago, and for the first time in her life, she had no idea how to process how she felt about everything that happened.

At the thought of the kiss she shared with Damon, Elena reached up and gently touched a finger to her lips. She'd experienced every kind of kiss before: gentle kisses, sloppy kisses, and the occasional kiss that made her spine tingle with passion and desire. This kiss with Damon, however, didn't fit into any of those categories. It was a kiss completely different from anything she'd ever shared with anyone, and the fact that it was with Damon unnerved Elena. She shouldn't have kissed her boyfriend's brother, even if she considered that brother one of her closest friends. She shouldn't – couldn't – feel anything stronger than friendship for Damon. She loved Stefan. She wanted to be with Stefan. Most importantly she refused to be like Katherine, who dated the Salvatore brothers at the same time, manipulating their emotions by pitting them against each other for her love. No, Elena wouldn't do that to Stefan and Damon. Besides, she didn't feel anything stronger than friendship for Damon to act on. No, there was absolutely nothing to be said about the blaze that burned in her stomach when he looked at her with those crystal blue eyes of his as if she was the only person who mattered. Of course she could ignore the electrical shivers on her hands, her back, and her face whenever he touched her. It's not like he affected her or anything.

_Yeah, right_, Elena thought as she reluctantly looked through the dresses in her closet. Of course Damon affected her. How could he not? Not only was he extremely attractive, but he was also intelligent, proactive, and had developed into someone who really cared about the people in Mystic Falls. Damon tried so hard to pretend like no one in Mystic Falls mattered to him, like he could walk away without a backwards glance, but Elena knew this act was one huge cover for his true goodness. His role as the reluctant hero attracted her to him more than she wanted to admit. The burn in her stomach ignited into a ravenous wildfire whenever he focused his intense gaze on her. God help her if he tenderly moved a finger across her cheek; the electricity between them was strong enough to power an entire city. Oh yes, Damon Salvatore affected Elena. She refused to admit it to herself, but deep down she knew that she wanted him, and she knew he wanted her. That was a huge problem. She still loved Stefan, wherever he was at the moment.

The only way Elena knew she could trust herself to not act on her feelings for Damon was to not be around him, so she went out of her way to avoid being alone with him during the three months after their kiss. It wasn't easy. He had completely embedded himself into every aspect of her life. But when Elena nursed him back to health from his nearly fatal werewolf bite, she asked Caroline, Jeremy, and her vampire hunting history teacher Alaric Saltzman to be there with her. When everyone split up to search for Stefan, Elena chose to stay with Caroline, Tyler Lockwood, and Alaric while Bonnie, Jeremy, and Damon went elsewhere. She closed and locked all of the windows in her house and told Jeremy to do the same, not wanting to wake and see him sitting at the foot of her bed, watching her with his passionate eyes. She knew he could force her to talk to him, to demand an explanation for ignoring him, abandoning him, and treating him as if he didn't matter, but he didn't, and Elena appreciated that. She felt horrible for treating him so poorly, but she didn't know what else to do. She didn't want to face him because then she would actually have to acknowledge her feelings for him, something she didn't want to do with Stefan still in the picture.

The corners of Elena's mouth turned down into a frown as she spotted an unfamiliar splash of crimson peeking out from a pile of sweaters. She pushed them aside, picked up the red fabric, and held it out at arms length to see what it was. She gasped. She bought this dress four months ago to wear to her and Stefan's one year anniversary dinner. Stefan had hinted that he was going to take Elena on a weekend getaway, and he urged her to pack a dress he "couldn't wait to rip off her" if she wore it. Caroline and Bonnie joined Elena on the shopping trip for this dress, and when they saw it, they unanimously agreed that this was the dress for her. It was made of a crimson red silk that stopped at her mid-thigh and hugged every curve of her body. The front of the dress had a moderately low cut scoop, but the back of the dress was open to the base of Elena's spine. Stefan had indicated that Elena's back was his favorite body part of hers through the extra time and kisses he lavished there, and Elena wanted to accentuate that feature for him. Unfortunately, Stefan disappeared with Klaus a month before their anniversary, and in a tearful fit Elena shoved the dress to the back of her closet. She didn't want to see it and be reminded of his absence. Tonight was the first time she'd seen the dress in nearly two months. Part of Elena wanted to wear it upon Stefan's return, but a larger piece of her knew that he wouldn't be back any time soon. She had to wear this dress tonight.

As Elena began to lift the dress over her head, she heard her front door creak open. Startled, she dropped the dress on the floor and silently moved to grab the stake she permanently kept by her nightstand. After months of her house being casually invaded by vampires, Elena knew it was best to be prepared for any kind of supernatural attack.

"Jeremy?" she tentatively called out to the empty house. "Is that you?" The resounding silence deafened Elena's ears as her hand gripped the stake tightly. Her heart rate increased as a boiling sensation coursed through her blood. _Please don't let it be a vampire, werewolf, doppelganger, or any other creature that isn't supposed to exist_. Looking down at her body, Elena realized she still wore nothing but high heels and lacy underclothes. Desperate to clothe herself, her eyes darted around the bedroom until she spotted her lilac bathrobe on the floor by her windowseat. Keeping her eyes on her bedroom door, Elena slowly walked backwards, around her bed and to the spot where her bathroom lay on the carpet. As she crouched down to reach the robe, she felt a sharp crack in her right ankle as it wobbled in her heels. Elena stumbled and fell forward, taking her eyes off the door to focus her attention on her ankle. She massaged it and hesitantly rolled it around in its socket. Nothing felt out of place, so Elena tentatively crouched on her feet before propelling herself back to a standing position, her mind miles away from the creaking sound she heard earlier.

"Elena."

Elena froze. She knew that voice. She'd memorized its velvet sound, the way he said her name as if it were a hybrid of a caress, a plea, and a prayer. She heard that murmuring voice in her dreams at night, whispering words of longing and desire in her ear that made her want to grab, kiss, and claw him until the fireworks in her blood stopped bursting. They never did, and she'd been denying them access to each other for so long that the fireworks had been replaced by landmines. Landmines were far more dangerous and far easier to set off than fireworks, and Elena wasn't prepared to explode just yet. Steeling herself against feelings she didn't want to experience, Elena slowly turned to her bedroom doorway and saw Damon standing there.

He looked stunning. Dressed for the Charity Cocktail Gala in a black suit with a black button-up open at the neck, his black boots, and his hair windswept to the side, Damon exemplified masculine perfection. His eyes and jaw were tense from a combination of desire and frustration, and Elena clenched her fists to keep from walking over and smoothing the aggravation from his face. His eyes roamed up and down her body, stopping to appreciate her lean legs, toned stomach, rounded chest, and finally her full lips. Damon sharply inhaled as he looked at her, and Elena knew that he was exercising a serious amount of restraint to remain on the opposite side of her bedroom. Elena struggled to stay calm as she watched Damon, although she was positive that he could hear her heart pounding through her chest. She licked her lips and opened her mouth to break the silence.

"Damon, I –"

Damon was in front of Elena before she could even finish her sentence. Her eyes widened in surprise as Damon grabbed her hips and walked both of them backwards until her body was deliciously pressed between his chest and her window. As Elena lifted her hands to Damon's chest in attempt to push him away, he roughly grabbed both sides of her face and crushed his lips to hers in a potent, bruising kiss.

Elena knew this was wrong. She shouldn't be kissing Damon, not when she was technically still together with Stefan, but she craved the feel of Damon's lips against hers ever since they shared that kiss in his bedroom. Now they were in her bedroom, and the nature of this kiss was significantly different from their last one. Elena felt a whimper escape her throat as Damon's lips eagerly moved against hers, and she unconsciously reached up to run her fingers through his tousled black hair. Her nails clawed at his scalp, and Damon released a throaty moan as he pressed his bulging length into Elena's center. His hands frantically moved everywhere on her body as if desperate to touch every part of her at once, and he paused to place brief, fiery kisses on Elena's neck, shoulders, and collarbone before returning to capture her mouth in another soul-quenching kiss.

Elena's eyes snapped open as Damon reached around her back to unhook her bra, and she quickly slipped out of his arms. She scurried around to the other side of her bed, eager to put necessary space between the two of them. Damon's eyes overflowed with want as they both struggled to regain their breath. He leaned forward, as if to join Elena on her side of the room to continue what they just started.

"Damon, we can't," she whispered. Realizing how weak that sounded, Elena stood up straight and attempted to defiantly stare at Damon. "We can't. I'm still with Stef—"

"Don't you dare say his name," he growled, causing Elena to jump back in alarm. "Don't you dare ruin what just happened by bringing little brother Stefan into this."

Elena crossed her arms in attempt to appear stronger than she actually felt. He had kissed her absolutely boneless, and she hoped her limbs would stop feeling like jelly soon. The electric air crackled as his brilliant blue eyes glared at her.

"How did you get in the house? All of the windows are locked," she finally asked, anxiously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Damon's lips curled upwards to form what Elena called his signature smirk. It reeked of arrogance, ownership, and pure dominance.

"Your door was unlocked."

"Do you normally just walk into people's houses without asking permission?"

"Do you normally avoid people for three months after you kiss them?" Damon immediately shot back, his voice filled with anger and hurt. He briskly removed his suit jacket and laid it on Elena's window seat before rolling up his shirt sleeves. She couldn't help but notice the way Damon's arm muscles bulged as he completed the action, and she clenched her hands into fists once again to keep from running her hands over them. He looked up at her once again, this time with a pained expression on his face that made Elena's heart wrench.

"I thought our relationship meant more to you than that." His words were both a statement and a question, and Elena felt her cheeks flush with shame as she looked down at her feet. She knew he needed answers, and she wasn't sure what any of them were.

"I needed some space," she finally said, biting her lower lip. She couldn't look at him, not when she'd been so unfair to him. "I wanted some quiet after everything that happened."

She watched him as he nodded and walked over to her bed. He sat down and picked up her tattered copy of _The Perks of Being a Wallflower_. A small smile cracked his stony features as he flipped through the pages.

"Are you sure this book wasn't written by my brother?" he joked, stopping to read from a section Elena underlined. "I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That's why I'm trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning."

Elena tried to match Damon's small smile with one of her own, but her mouth quivered as she saw the pain that was still present in his eyes, pain that she'd caused by avoiding him. His smile disappeared as he tossed the book on the nightstand, stood up, and leaned against the window they'd just been pressed up against.

"What's the real reason you've avoided me, Elena?" His words were now a demand instead of a statement. Her eyes searched his as she mechanically reached up to touch the vervain-laced necklace Stefan gave her, reminding both of them that it was still there. He watched her finger the locket, impatiently waiting for her to say something. Elena opened her mouth to say something but immediately closed it, unable to bear the words that are dying to escape her lips. _Because I want you but I won't let myself act on it_. Damon threw his arms up in disgust.

"You really have nothing to say to me, Elena? Nothing at all?" Damon instantly appeared in front of Elena again and backed her into the bedroom door. She lifted her hands to stop his advances, but he interwove his fingers with hers and lifted their hands above her head. He pressed his hard length against her and lowered his mouth to nibble at her ear. An involuntary moan escaped Elena's lips as her body and blood began to tingle. Damon playfully nipped Elena's ear once more before intently staring into her eyes.

"You know why I think you've been avoiding me?" he asked as he leaned down to kiss Elena's bare collarbone. She inhaled sharply. Damon's scent of spice and sandalwood filled her nose. She looked right back at Damon, a challenge in her eyes.

"Damon, I don't have time for this—"

"I think," he said, abruptly cutting her off, "that you've been avoiding me because you want me more than you care to admit. I think that you have feelings for me that are way stronger than any feelings you have or ever had for my brother, and that you've been avoiding me because you're afraid to act on them."

"Oh really," Elena whispered as Damon kissed a delicate trail from her shoulder to her neck.

"Really." Damon paused as he felt Elena move beneath him, stifling the heavy groan that threatened to spill from his throat. "And you know what else I think, Elena?"

Elena was speechless. An excruciating pressure dominated her inner core, and that pressure grew stronger every time Damon touched her. Her body needed Damon's hands, lips, and body to cover hers, betraying her weakening desire to remain loyal to Stefan until they could save him from Klaus. She shook her head as Damon leaned over to gently touch his forehead to hers. The beauty and strength of his eyes hypnotized her as she looked into them.

"I think," he began, his eyes hardening, "that you're a coward, Elena. You're a coward because you know that what we feel for each other is real and important and good and you're not even giving us a chance because you're scared of everything we could be. You're scared of being like Katherine. You're scared that your friends are going to judge you for loving me too. Yes, I said it," he interrupted as Elena gasped at his mention of the word love. "And worst of all, you're scared of me and how much I love you, because you know that no one will ever love you the way that I love you. You know that your soul doesn't burn for others the same way it burns for me. You know that I understand you better than anyone else, and you know how painstakingly perfect we are for each other."

Elena's heart pounded heavily in her chest as Damon leaned in even closer and placed his hands on either side of her face. Tears outlined his eyes as they searched hers for a sense of understanding. "I used to think of you as the sun in my life, Elena. The sun's bad for me. I burn in the sun, but I want to bask in it so badly. I cheat by wearing this ring, because it allows me to get close to something I never thought I could have."

A tear rolled down Elena's cheek and Damon quickly lifted a finger up to wipe it away, his eyes remaining intently on hers. She slowly fisted her hands in Damon's shirt. "And now?"

Damon looked at Elena with a passion that made her toes curl with desire. His hands moved beneath her and they surfaced without his ring. He placed it on her dresser.

"Burn me, Elena. Kiss me, touch me, do anything you want with me. I need to be in your sunlight more than I've ever needed anything else in my entire existence."

Tears fell freely from Elena and Damon's eyes as they looked at each other. Elena's heart was breaking because she saw the need in Damon's eyes that so desperately consumed him. His entire existence revolved around his search for acceptance and self worth. His father and Katherine both rejected him in favor of Stefan. The people Damon had needed the most didn't need him back, and Elena knew that knowledge haunted him. Damon needed her to need him, to give him a reason to stay around. He needed her to prove that he was just as valuable in her life, if not more, than Stefan, and Elena started crying harder because she knew that she wasn't at that place yet.

"I'm so sorry, Damon," she finally managed to say through her tears. "I can't."

Damon slowly stepped away from Elena as her rejection sunk in. She wept even harder when she saw him remove the emotion from his face and replace it with a blank look. He was shutting his emotions off because of her denial. He refused to let himself feel the pain of being rejected by the person he loved more than anything or anyone in his entire existence.

"Have it your way, Elena," he ground out through clenched teeth as he grabbed his suit jacket off her window seat. "I hope you have a miserable life with your precious saintly ripper boyfriend. Maybe your wretchedness will teach you to be braver when you have the chance."

As Elena opened her mouth to say something, anything, she felt a gust of air move past her body. When she looked up, her room was empty. Damon was gone. Elena slowly sank to her knees and began to sob, hugging her body as if he were the one holding it. She pressed her hands to her heart, feeling it shatter into thousands of shards of glass. She was an idiot to turn him away. She loved him. She, Elena Gilbert, was in love with Damon Salvatore, and she was the coward that he accused her of being. She could set this right. She had to set this right.

Elena shakily got to her feet. She walked over to her dresser to find a pair of earrings to wear with her red dress. As she looked down at the dresser's edge, Elena released a huge gasp.

Damon's ring sat right where he left it, and Elena had the horrible feeling that he wouldn't return for it.


	2. Chapter 2

Elena's knuckles were white as she tightly clenched the driving wheel of her car. She sped down the wavy back roads of Mystic Falls, slowing only slightly to maneuver her way around a particularly rounded curve. Thunder ominously boomed in the near distance, and Elena vaguely remembered Jeremy talk about the Mystic Falls weather forecast for a thunderstorm that night. Elena usually loved good thunderstorms. She appreciated their simultaneous beauty and danger, but tonight she hoped the rain would hold off at least until she arrived at the Lockwood Mansion. Her emotional state was already dark and stormy enough; she didn't need the weather gods reflecting her feelings through a downpour. More importantly, Elena didn't need any additional distractions tonight. She needed to find Damon, and she needed to find him fast.

At the thought of Damon, Elena's lips quivered as she tried to restrain herself from crying for what seemed like the thousandth time that evening. How could she mess things up so badly? She was thoughtless and insensitive and just ... really, really stupid. How could she look into the eyes of a man who so clearly loved her more than anything or anyone he'd ever known and reject him? And why did she continue making excuse after excuse as to why they couldn't be together? Elena once thought that her attraction to Damon was nothing more than an insignificant, primal lust. She appreciated his sinfully handsome features – honestly, who wouldn't? – but Elena wanted to be with someone who she felt connected to in every sense of the word. She wanted to experience a union of souls, and she'd convinced herself that the soul of a man who snapped her brother's neck in a fit of rage could never be compatible with hers.

Elena now knew that she couldn't have been more wrong in her life. Damon's passionate soul perfectly complimented her compassionate one. He brought out the best in her whenever they spent time together. On more lighthearted days, Damon showed Elena how to loosen up and enjoy all that life had to offer. Some people thought that he was only good to have around if someone was looking for a good time, but Elena knew that Damon was just as valuable in serious situations. She admired his steadfast devotion to a cause, no matter how hopeless the circumstances seemed. Damon was constant and loyal, and these traits enhanced Elena's nurturing ones. Together, they were better people. Together, they completed each other in a way that no one else ever had or would ever do.

Unfortunately, Elena rejected her other half without realizing it, and every inch of her body felt the negative effects of Damon's absence. She felt hallow inside, as if someone had reached in and scraped out her innards with a spoon until she was nothing but a breathing shell of a person. She hurt. Not being with him was torturous, and knowing that she caused their separation felt the worst of all.

Elena took a deep breath as she skidded into a parking space outside of the Lockwood Mansion. She grabbed her silver clutch off the passenger seat, jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut, and ran towards the Lockwoods' well-lit house. Her heart rhythmically pounded every time her feet hit the ground. _Damon. Damon. Damon._ She was so focused on finding Damon that he'd become a part of her heartbeat. Elena never thought she'd be one of those girls whose physical and mental states were completely interchangeable with those of their lovers, but here she was, at 8:20 on a Saturday night, sprinting towards the Lockwood Mansion wearing her red cocktail dress and black Converse sneakers, all in an effort to find Damon Salvatore. The man made her act in uncharacteristic ways, but she was crazy about him. He was worth all of this madness.

Elena slowed her sprint down to a brisk walk as she approached the front door of the mansion. No one greeted her at the door, so she turned the door handle and walked right into the house. Jazz music and conversation filled the air, and Elena followed the sound to the Lockwoods' ballroom. She quickly scanned her surroundings. At the size of a football field, the ballroom was the most opulent room in the house. Sleek hardwood furnished the floors. Man-sized bay windows lined the entire western wall of the room, their framing silk curtains drawn back so the moonlight could shine onto the dance floor. The only other light in the space glowed from the candles centered onto the dining tables scattered around the perimeter of the room. The live jazz quartet stood in a group at the end of the room, playing a fast number Elena vaguely recognized from the few swing dancing lessons she took with Caroline and Bonnie a year ago.

Elena pushed her way through the crowd until she stood at the edge of the dancing couples. Her eyes darted around until she spotted Bonnie, Caroline, Jeremy, and Tyler in the middle of the group. Jeremy gracefully spun Bonnie outwards before deftly pulling her back towards him. He dipped her with a kiss, and her eyes shone with laughter. Tyler's dancing skills weren't as adept as Jeremy's were, but he and Caroline beamed at each other as they moved to the tempo of the music. They all looked so happy, and Elena's body heaved with regret. Had the night gone differently, she and Damon would have been out on the dance floor with her best friends and their boyfriends.

_I could be that happy_.

Elena paused for a moment and reflected what could have happened with Damon before she briskly shook her head, as if clearing it of all sentimental thoughts. She pushed her way through the crowd of swinging couples until she stood next to Bonnie and Jeremy. As Jeremy spun Bonnie outwards, Elena placed her hands on Bonnie's shoulders to stop her from moving.

Bonnie jumped at her sudden halt, but when she saw Elena, her face lit up. "You're finally here! Go find a partner and join us!"

"Nice shoes, Elena," Caroline dryly said as she and Tyler walked to them. "Honestly, you couldn't take the time to put on some nice heels instead of those gross sneakers? But I absolutely love that dress! The rest of you looks fantastic –"

"Yeah, you look great Elena," Tyler chimed in, giving her a shy smile. Caroline shot him a dirty look, and he held up his hands in defense. "I mean, aren't you cold? The back of that dress is really low."

"Have any of you seen Damon?" Elena interrupted, her eyes wild with frenzy. Caroline and Bonnie exchanged a knowing look as Tyler and Jeremy stared at Elena in confusion.

"He was here at the beginning of the gala, but he left about forty-five minutes into the night," Jeremy said. His eyes narrowed. "What's going on, Elena?"

"Yeah, what do you know that we don't?" Bonnie demanded, crossing her arms. "What did he do this time?"

"Nothing! I just really need to find him before it's too late." Elena glared into the eyes of each of her friends, daring any of them to deny her. She tried to meet Caroline's eyes, but Caroline was fixated on the new ring that sat on the same chain as Elena's vervain necklace.

"Is that Damon's ring around your neck?" she asked, causing everyone else to stare at Elena's necklace. Elena reached her fingers up and touched the ring, aware that this piece of jewelry would be the only thing she had left of Damon if she didn't find him soon. Despair crippled her already aching heart. She nodded, and Caroline gasped as Tyler and Jeremy exchanged worried looks. Bonnie, on the other hand, looked anything but concerned about Damon's welfare.

"Good. Let him die. He's caused all of us nothing but misery ever since he arrived in Mystic Falls."

"He's saved our lives more times than we can count!" Elena shot back, furious at her best friend for her apathy at Damon's ringless state. Jeremy quickly stepped between the two girls, eager to prevent them from fighting. He looked at Elena.

"Tell us everything that happened," he said. Caroline and Tyler nodded in agreement while Bonnie crossed her arms and looked away, a scowl planted on her face. Elena glared at Bonnie before she turned back to face her other friends.

"Damon snuck into my bedroom while I got dressed for the party. He wanted to know why I'd avoided him ever since...everything happened." Elena stumbled over her last words, choosing to omit the sizzling kisses she and Damon shared. "I told him that I needed some space and some quiet. He...came onto me, and I rejected him."

The group quietly stood there in a circle, processing everything Elena said. Jeremy finally broke the silence.

"Well, we all know what happens when Damon gets rejected."

Bonnie looked up at him, her brown eyes wide with fear. A consuming guilt spread through Elena's body as she watched Jeremy reach up to touch the base of his neck, the neck Damon snapped the first night she rejected him. That was a bad night that couldn't be repeated. Jeremy drew his mouth in a straight line, his expression resolute. After another moment of deafening silence, he finally turned to face Bonnie.

"Bonnie, you have to do a locator spell." Bonnie spluttered and threw her hands up in the air.

"I don't have to do anything!" she insisted. "No way am I helping us find that bloodsucker. It goes against everything my Grams stood for. And anyways, I don't want him around."

"But I do," Elena interrupted, desperate to appeal to Bonnie's greater sense of friendship. A locator spell was the only way she'd be able to quickly find Damon, and Bonnie was the only one who could perform it. Damon's future – and her future with Damon – rested in Bonnie's tightly clenched hands.

Elena stepped closer to Bonnie so she could look directly into her eyes. "Please, Bonnie," she begged, willing herself to restrain her tears once more that night. "Please help me find him."

Bonnie glared at Elena. "You actually have the nerve to ask me to do something that goes against everything my family and I stand for? I thought you were better than that, Elena."

"I could say the same about you," Elena retorted. Unable to spot any traces of compassion in Bonnie's eyes, Elena stepped backwards and turned to face Caroline and Tyler. "Will you please help me look for him? I'll cover more ground if both of you are helping me."

Caroline nodded, sniffing the air around Elena. A small smile cracked her face, but she quickly replaced it with a serious look. "Of course we'll help you, Elena," she said, grabbing one of her hands and squeezing it in a show of solidarity. Tyler grabbed Elena's other hand and repeated the motion. The three of them looked at Jeremy, who appeared to be arguing with Bonnie. Elena strained her ears to hear their conversation.

"...she's my sister and your best friend, Bonnie."

"Who's also asking me to help her save the life of someone who's been nothing but horrible to this town!"

"You know that's not true, Bonnie. Damon may have killed me, but he's also saved a lot of people from a lot of bad things. He's also the only connection Elena has to Stefan right now. If Damon dies, she'll have no chance of ever seeing Stefan again."

"Maybe that's for the best."

"Then who's going to keep Stefan under control when he eventually does come back to Mystic Falls? You know he's going to return for Elena someday, and Klaus probably won't be far behind, ready to wreck havoc on the town again. We need Damon to ease the situation, Bonnie, and you're the only one who can help us find him."

Bonnie angrily looked up at Jeremy before sighing, dropping her shoulders, and nodding. Jeremy leaned forward and tenderly placed his lips on her forehead. Her eyes closed as she leaned into the kiss, almost as if relishing the sweetness of it. When Bonnie finally opened her eyes, she stepped away from Jeremy and marched right over to Elena. She held out her hand, a disgusted expression plastered on her face.

"Ring."

Elena was confused. "What?"

"I need an object of Damon's to do the locator spell," she impatiently explained. "Give me his ring."

Elena nodded, overwhelmed by Bonnie's new harshness. She reached behind her neck, unclasped the vervain necklace, and brought it around to her front. She tilted its silver chain until Damon's ring slid into Bonnie's outstretched hand. Bonnie clenched her fingers tightly around the ring before turning to face Tyler.

"Do you have a map in this place?"

Tyler dumbfoundedly looked at Caroline, also put off by this forceful side of Bonnie. "I think so –"

"It's in the study," Caroline quickly said. Tyler supplied her a grateful look as Elena, Jeremy, and Bonnie all stared at her. She shrugged her shoulders. "What? I've spent my entire life here to celebrate Mystic Falls' various milestones. I know this place inside and out."

"Whatever," Bonnie said, turning around to walk out of the ballroom. Elena rushed after her and attempted to grab her hand.

"Bonnie, I –"

"No, Elena," she sneered, ripping her hand away from Elena's grasp. Pain flashed across Elena's eyes as her best friend venomously glared at her. "I'm doing this for Jeremy and Mystic Falls, not for you."

"I'm still appreciative –"

"Don't think I don't know what this is here," she scowled, her intensity so crushing that Elena took a step backwards in defense. "I get it. As much as you try to resist Damon, he makes it impossible to do so. He sacrificed himself to save Caroline and Tyler, he protects you, blah blah blah. I never thought you'd be the person who cares more about the feelings of a psychopathic murderer than those of your lifelong best friend."

"Bonnie, it's not like that –"

"Save it, Elena," Bonnie fiercely said and turned to follow Jeremy and Tyler down the hallway. "Like I said, I'm not doing this for you. I still hope he burns in the sunrise."

Elena was shocked to the core at Bonnie's malevolence. She stopped in the middle of the hallway and watched her best friend walk down the hallway with her brother and friend. There was a good chance that she wouldn't be able to consider Bonnie a best friend after tonight; Elena didn't think that she and Bonnie could settle their differences over the presence of Damon in their lives.

Caroline snuck behind Elena and sniffed her clothes. She beamed. "I knew it."

Elena whirled around. "Knew what?"

"You and Damon hooked up!" she squealed, jumping up and down. "I can smell him all over you."

"No we didn't," Elena lied, desperate to hide the secrets of her night. Besides, she was technically still with Stefan. Elena didn't want people to think she was a cheat, despite the fact that she'd be following her heart by pursuing her feelings for Damon. Caroline raised a single arched eyebrow at Elena, who slumped her shoulders in defeat. She leaned into Caroline.

"I stood in my room, wearing nothing but my underwear and heels, when he snuck into the room. He said my name...and it was like firecrackers went off in my blood. Before I knew it, he backed me into my window and kissed me."

"And?" Caroline demanded, knowing there was more.

"And I can still barely stand upright," Elena confessed, her arms circling around her midsection to steady herself. Just thinking about the tantalizing things Damon did to her made her wobbly with desire. "But I rejected him, Caroline, and I know it really hurt him this time. He even took his ring off so he could be completely honest and vulnerable with me, and I treated his feelings as if they were meaningless."

Caroline watched Elena sink down onto the hardwood floor in the empty hallway. She bent over to wrap her arms around her friend in a strong hug.

"Do you love him?"

Elena looked up at Caroline. For the first time that night, a small smile appeared on her face.

"Yes."

Caroline held Elena for a few more seconds before she gave her a final squeeze, hopped to her feet, and pulled Elena up.

"Then let's go give Damon his ring back."

Elena's smile grew slightly wider as she followed Caroline down the hallway and into the Lockwood study. A large, chocolate leather couch and matching armchair sat in the center of the room. Old maps and photographs of the Mystic Falls area adorned the walls. The mayor's mahogany desk was pushed to the side of the room, and Bonnie sat in the leather swivel chair behind it. Jeremy and Tyler stood on either side of her. Damon's ring lay on the middle of the desk on top of a large map of Virginia. Tension filled the air, and everyone awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other, scratched their head, and did anything to avoid looking at each other.

Once again, Jeremy broke the silence. "I thought you needed blood to do a locator spell?"

"Only if I don't have access to an object that belongs to the person I'm locating," Bonnie said, her voice blank of emotion. Jeremy and Tyler nodded, and Caroline took one of Elena's hands. Elena appreciated Caroline's support, especially because Bonnie refused to make eye contact with her.

As Bonnie closed her eyes and murmured an incantation under her breath, Elena's eyes darted between Bonnie's face and Damon's ring on the map. The lights in the wall sconces flickered, but Damon's ring didn't move. Bonnie repeated the words more intensely. The ring teetered back and forth, but it didn't budge from its position atop the Mystic Falls dot on the map. After ten more seconds, the lights in the room returned to normal, and Bonnie opened her eyes. She looked down at the map.

"The ring didn't move, Bonnie," Caroline softly said. "Is that supposed to happen?"

"I did everything right," she snapped, leaning back into the desk chair.

"Are you sure you said everything right? Do we need to find another object?"

"I told you, the spell worked!"

"Then why is Damon's ring still stuck over Mystic Falls?"

Bonnie shrugged. She pushed herself away from the desk and stood up.

"I did the spell," she curtly said, walking out of the study. "You're on your own."

Jeremy looked at Elena apologetically. "I hope you find him," he said before running after Bonnie. Caroline and Tyler exchanged worried looks before glancing down at Elena, her brow furrowed. She stared at Damon's ring.

"Elena?" Caroline said in attempt to bring her out of her thoughts. "What should we do?" Elena was quiet for a moment, staring at the ring, wondering why it didn't move.

_If I were a vampire about to meet the sunrise, where would I choose to spend my last night on the planet?_

The answer suddenly hit Elena with the weight of a bag of bricks. She grabbed Damon's ring off the desk and ran out of the study and down the hallway to the front door of the Lockwood Mansion. Caroline and Tyler followed her, easily keeping up with Elena's fast pace.

"Elena, slow down! Where are you going?" Caroline demanded. Elena stopped running and turned to face her two friends. A cool breeze ruffled her long hair as a crack of lightning illuminated the night sky. The boom of thunder quickly followed. Conversational sounds from the gala were dimly heard in the background.

"I know where Damon is."

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading my story! This is my first attempt at writing fan fiction since 2001. Obsessed with NSYNC, I wasted many sheets of looseleaf chronicling my adventures with the then-love of my life, Lance Bass. (I give you permission to make fun of me now. Go ahead, it's okay.) For the record, I think that Damon is a much better love interest to write about.<p>

Please continue to read and review my story. It means a lot to me when you let me know what you think of the characters, plot, etc. I have a general idea of what I want to happen in this story, but I haven't figured out those little details that will really make this story come alive. Where do you think Damon is? Should Stefan and Klaus make an appearance in this story? Most importantly, when Elena and Damon finally do reconcile their differences, what needs to be said and done in that scene? I value all of your opinions and really look forward to hearing what you have to say. Thank you so much!


	3. Chapter 3

"You know where Damon is?" Caroline repeated with an incredulous expression. She shifted her weight from one heeled foot to the other as Tyler shrugged himself out of his brown leather jacket. Elena looked at both of them impatiently and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Didn't they realize that Damon's afterlife was on the line? Elena usually considered herself a patient person, but she felt edgy and rushed when she thought of Damon without his bewitched ring. Time was of the essence in this situation.

"He's at the quarry," Elena said, her strong voice quieting to a low murmur as she looked down at her feet. She bit her lower lip, remembering the last time she'd gone to the quarry for a Salvatore brother. So much had changed since that night. "At least, I think that's where he is. He has to be there." Re-gathering her conviction, Elena began to run towards her car again, intending to drive to the quarry to find Damon. She took several long strides before she stopped. The air around her crackled with energy from the pending thunderstorm, but it was still too quiet. Elena turned around and saw Caroline and Tyler standing in the same spot as before, looking at her with matching looks of confusion on their faces.

Impatience overwhelmed Elena as she watched her two friends. She knew that she cared about Damon more than they did, but why weren't they moving to help her? They took too much time to process everything, and now was the worst possible occasion to use extra time for anything. The longer she waited to find Damon, the more time he had to move from his probable location in Mystic Falls. Elena couldn't take that risk, and she was frustrated with Caroline and Tyler for not acting as quickly as she did.

"Caroline, Tyler, I need your help," Elena pleaded. Her body heaved from the exhaustion of the situation, and Caroline rushed forward to steady her. Tyler joined them several seconds later.

"We'll find him, Elena," Tyler calmly said. Caroline nodded in agreement. She reached towards Elena's face and tucked a tendril of escaped hair behind her ear. Caroline gave her a small smile before turning around.

"Hop on my back," she ordered. Elena narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Caroline, what are you talking about?"

Caroline released a sigh of exasperation, wheeling around to face Elena once again. "You'll reach the quarry faster if I take you there," she evenly explained, as if transport by vampire was the most natural thing in the world. "That car of yours is a sloth compared to me."

Tyler chuckled at Caroline's joke, and a satisfied smile crossed her face as the corners of Elena's mouth tilted upwards. Elena walked around to Caroline's backside, placed her hands on Caroline's shoulders, and pushed herself onto her back. She tightly hugged Caroline's arms and wrapped her legs securely around Caroline's waist. Caroline's nose wrinkled as she looked down at Elena's Converse-clad feet touching her silk cocktail dress.

"You are so paying the dry cleaning bill for this dress," she complained. Elena released a small snort as she moved her feet away from Caroline's dress.

"If we find Damon before sunrise, I'll buy you an entire spa day package in addition to paying your dry cleaning bill," she offered in return. Caroline's eyes lit up at the mention of the word spa.

"Hour long massage, here I come!" she announced. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Can we go now?"

Caroline grabbed Elena's clutch from her hands and tossed it to Tyler. "Drive Elena's car to the quarry, Wolf Boy," she commanded. Tyler stared at the silver clutch as if it were an alien object instead of a woman's purse. He raised an eyebrow at Caroline as a cheeky grin spread across his face.

"Wolf Boy?"

Elena couldn't see Caroline's expression, but she knew her friend well enough to assume that Caroline returned Tyler's sassy smile with a matching one of her own. Despite her anxiousness to find Damon, she still enjoyed witnessing the teasing romance between Caroline and Tyler, the two unlikeliest of lovers. They obviously shared a deep, mutual respect for each other that overcame the rivalries between their supernatural groups.

"Hold on tight and close your eyes, Elena," Caroline instructed, rotating so they faced the woods surrounding the Lockwood property. Elena did as she asked. A huge bolt of lightning illuminated the sky, causing the hair on Elena's arms to stand on edge. Goosebumps erupted across her entire body, reacting to the overwhelming power that filled the air. She heard the rumbling blast of thunder several seconds later and took note of the way it rattled her heart. She felt Caroline inhale and exhale slowly, preparing herself for their pending run.

"And we're off!" Caroline announced, and Elena felt the balmy night air rush past her as Caroline maneuvered them around the Lockwood trees. Without her primary sense of sight, the woodsy sounds of crickets chirping and leaves rustling amplified themselves in Elena's ears. She wanted to open her eyes to see the sights that flashed past her and Caroline, but she was afraid that she would be dizzy from the quick speed they moved at. Her ponytail gently swished against her naked back. The brush of her hair felt as light and soft as a lover's kiss, and Elena immediately thought of how tenderly Damon's lips caressed her skin. Her heartbeat sped up as she recalled the exciting way Damon backed her into her bedroom door, the thrilling way his body molded into hers as he pressed every inch of himself against her. He had claimed every ounce of her personal space for his own, and Elena basked in the glory of that memory. She craved the intimate feeling of his muscular body pushed against her supple one, the way he demanded access to her mouth, the way all of his touches ignited firecrackers in her blood. Merely thinking of all the ways Damon created luscious havoc within her body and soul made Elena quiver with delight and anticipation at seeing him again, and she bit her lip to prevent a lusty sigh from escaping her lips.

"Umm, Elena?" Caroline's voice pulled Elena from her reverie. "I don't know what – or who – you're thinking about back there, but could you please try to slow your heartbeat down? I can hear your blood from here and I've got everything under control, but it would be great if you weren't so…excited right now."

"Sorry, Caroline," Elena said, flushing with embarrassment. Thank goodness Caroline couldn't see her face, though Elena was sure that Caroline could feel the heat steam off her cheeks.

"It's okay," Caroline chirped, continuing to run at an even pace. The two friends silently moved through the trees together as Elena inhaled Mystic Falls' summer aroma of grass and honeysuckle. She was grateful to her temporary lack of eyesight for enhancing her sense of smell, especially in the woods. Elena loved the authentic, timeless qualities of natural aromas. There was something so pure, so trustworthy of someone who smelled of the outdoors. All of her close friends adorned themselves with natural scents. Caroline lathered her hair with jasmine shampoo. Bonnie smelled of citrus and wildflowers. Her male friends used organically fragranced deodorants and colognes, although Tyler's scent was earthier than Jeremy and Matt's. Even Stefan smelled of a mixture between leather and musk, a smell she'd come to associate with the Salvatore boarding house and all of its antiquities.

Then there was Damon. He smelled of spice and sandalwood, with a hint of that Salvatore musk thrown in for good measure. It was a blatantly male smell, primitive and powerful, designed to make a woman's limbs quiver with primal need and desire. Elena inhaled sharply as she remembered the animalistic way her blood reacted to Damon's smell when he was around. One whiff of that masculine scent and her body sparked to life, her blood filled with countless sprites who threatened to scratch and claw their way to the surface, demanding wanton access to the man who stirred them to motion.

_I wonder if I have that effect on Damon's body_.

"Elena!"

Caroline's shrill voice pierced through Elena's daydreams once more, accentuated by the sharp blast of another thunderbolt. Elena realized that thoughts of Damon had caused her heartbeat to speed up again. "Sorry, Caroline."

"Try to keep your blood under control, will you?" she demanded. "I only have so much restraint up here."

"I'll be good, I promise," Elena assured her friend, silently vowing that she would get her libido in check. Caroline snorted in disbelief.

"You're lucky I'm such a good friend," she said, her harsh voice immediately returning to its airy tone. Elena nodded into Caroline's shoulder, appreciative that at least one of her best friends was willing to help her find Damon. Bonnie was uncharacteristically cruel tonight, and Elena grimaced as she recalled the callous expression on Bonnie's face as she stormed out of the Lockwood study. Something must have happened that Bonnie didn't tell her about.

"Caroline, do you know why Bonnie was so…unwilling to help me find Damon?" Elena reluctantly asked. She knew Damon hadn't killed anyone in a long time, so that couldn't be the answer. Was Bonnie upset with him for force-feeding her his blood? Did Damon do something else that she didn't know about? "I know that they didn't like each other for a long time, but I thought that they had sort of become friends after everything that happened, and now Bonnie's back to her old Damon-hating self."

The air around Elena slowed as Caroline reduced her fast pace to a mere jog. Elena opened her eyes and saw an opening in the forest of trees. She leaned her face forward and caught a glimpse of Caroline's downcast eyes. Her heart rate began to speed up once more as she feared the worst had happened between two of her favorite people. Elena hated the thought of having to choose between Damon and Bonnie, and she had tried to create a world where the two could coexist in their mutual distrust of each other.

Apparently that world had been blown to smithereens.

Caroline moved them to the tree opening and motioned for Elena to dismount her. Elena hopped off her back, pulled her dress back down to her mid-thigh, and looked at the space in front of her. She stood at the edge of the quarry. The night air was comfortable. Sounds from the waterfall mingled with the rapid rustle of wooded leaves as the warm wind increased speed. Elena glanced up at the night sky and saw ashy black clouds rolling over the lake. She looked over at Caroline, who effortlessly swatted a mosquito away from her face. Caroline finally met Elena's gaze.

"Bonnie's mad at Damon because he moved out of the way of the bullet Mom shot at him," she said, her voice tinged with gloom. "She thinks that if Damon had taken the wooden bullet, she wouldn't have had to beg the witches to bring Jeremy back to life, and then they wouldn't have to deal with him being haunted by his ex-girlfriends."

Elena's eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead in disbelief. "He was dying!" she said, vehemently defending Damon's actions. "He was delirious from the werewolf bite fever. He didn't want Jeremy to die!"

"I know, I know," Caroline quickly said, holding her hands up in an innocent gesture. "I wish she'd give Damon another chance, but you know how Bonnie is."

Elena nodded. She knew how Bonnie was. She reached around back and pulled the ponytail out of her hair. Long brown locks cascaded forward to frame her face, and she ran her fingers through her hair to smooth out any knotted strands. Caroline leaned forward and picked something out of Elena's hair. She flicked it away before stepping towards Elena, wrapping her arms around her friend in a big hug.

"Tyler and I will drop your car off at your house," she said, tightly squeezing her. "Call me when you find Damon. We'll come to help you if you need it."

Elena hugged Caroline back, overwhelmed with the love she felt for her. "Thanks, Caroline. You're the best."

"I know," Caroline quickly replied, grinning at Elena. "By the way, you look hot, despite your sneakers. Never wear those with a gorgeous dress again. And you still owe me the cost of my dry cleaning bill."

Elena rolled her eyes. She stepped away from Caroline and quickly scanned the quarry area. Damon was nowhere in sight. A quick breeze blew past Elena's face. When she turned back, Caroline was gone.

Elena ran to the edge of the hill surrounding the quarry lake and slowly sidestepped her way downwards. She tenderly danced her way around the large rocks that jutted through the dirt. Stickerbushes crept up around her ankles and occasionally pricked her delicate skin. Elena inwardly cursed these painful plants as she moved her way around the maze of obstacles on the hill. With a final twist around a particularly thorny shrub, Elena stood near the bottom of the quarry. Her brow dripped with sweat. As she reached up to wipe her forehead, a bead of water splashed onto her arm. Elena stared at the raindrop as matching drips fell onto her body, welcoming the cooling effect of the water onto her skin.

The scattered raindrops quickly evolved into a powerful rainstorm, soaking Elena to the bone. The crimson fabric of her dress clung to her body as if it were a second skin, and as she ran around the lake's perimeter, calling out Damon's name, her black sneakers oozed muddy water out of their holes. Damon's ring angrily slapped against Stefan's necklace every time her feet pounded the ground. The clanging sound echoed Elena's personal mantra of the evening: _Damon. Damon. Damon._ _Find him. Save him. Love him_.

"Damon!" Elena breathlessly cried as she moved around the lake. "Damon, where are you?" The harsh rain stung her face, and Elena frantically wiped it away from her eyes. She was so sure that he would return to the spot where he'd turned into a vampire. Damon didn't dwell on the past as much as Stefan did, but he was a lot more reflective than people gave him credit for. She was so sure that he'd want his afterlife to end the same place it began. She thought he'd appreciate the circular poetry of the quarry location. That's what the spell indicated when Damon's ring didn't move from the Mystic Falls spot, right? Was he hiding somewhere within the quarry, or did she completely guess the wrong location?

"Damon!" Elena yelled again, her voice choking on the last syllable of his name. The tears that flowed from her eyes blended with the rainwater that continued to pelt her face. Lightning and thunder raged in the heavens above her, and Elena watched in horror as a bolt of lightning struck the dogwood tree that blossomed at the end of the far end of the lake. Elena felt its impact in her core, and she staggered back at the sheer magnitude of the blow. As she stumbled backwards, her shoe caught the edge of an uncovered rock. Elena closed her eyes as she fell, bracing herself to hit the muddy ground. Her body slammed into something solid, and she inhaled the sharp smell of cinnamon and sandalwood.

Elena's eyes opened wide as she jumped to her feet. She whirled around and saw Damon standing inches away from her, his blue eyes wild with fury. Rainwater soaked his black dress shirt and forced the fabric to grip his porcelain skin, accentuating his toned physique. Elena watched droplets slip from his rigid jawline, down the underside of his chin, past the smooth expanse of his neck, and finally disappear underneath his shirt collar. She longed to kiss her way down the paths of these raindrops, but decided against it based on the way Damon glared at her. Damon looked violently magnificent. He clenched his hands into fists and crossed his arms, restraining his body from springing into action. His inky hair clumped together, and she tentatively reached up to separate the wet strands. He stepped backwards, deliberately placing himself out of her reach.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he demanded with a steely voice. His eyes bore into hers, as if daring her to justify her presence at the quarry.

Elena looked back at him, a defiant look in her eye. She reached upwards to touch his ring at her neck, noting the way his eyes momentarily softened at the sight of his jewelry on her body. "Are you?"

The tender expression in Damon's eyes disappeared as he met Elena's eyes again. His voice was gravelly and pained. "I almost died three months ago. I might as well finish the job tonight."

"No." Elena's voice was unyielding. She grabbed his ring and pulled it from her neck. The necklace clasp cracked as it broke and fell onto the muddy earth. She held his ring between her fingers, and they both watched as Stefan's portion of the necklace fell to the ground. Elena reached out to take Damon's hand, and he yanked it out of her grip.

"You are not dying with the sunrise, Damon."

He leaned towards her. The tip of his nose narrowly brushed hers. A shock of energy passed between them that Elena knew wasn't from the storm.

"You are not in any position to tell me what I can and can't do. Now leave me alone."

He pulled away from her with such force that caused Elena to blink in surprise. When she opened her eyes, he was out of her sight. A wounded cry escaped from her lips, and she frantically spun around in attempt to figure out where he'd gone. She wouldn't lose him again.

Elena looked over at the waterfall and saw Damon step on top of a large rock. He outstretched his arms and turned his face upwards to greet the rain. Water streamed down his face, cleaning it of any dirt he'd gathered from the night. Elena's voice caught in her throat as she took in the sight of his sculpted, glorious form. His body opened itself to the heavens, and the mere sight of his vulnerability amongst the elements was breathtakingly beautiful. Elena wanted him for everything that he ever was and would ever be. She loved this sharp, complex, wonderful man with a fierceness that surprised and delighted her. He had to know that tonight.

"Damon," Elena called out, knowing he could hear her despite the large distance between them. He lowered his arms to his sides but gave no other indication that he heard her. She began to walk towards the waterfall. Her stride was slow and tentative, as if she approached a wild animal. Her eyes remained on Damon the entire time. "Damon, please stay where you are. I'm coming to you."

Helplessness and stark need engulfed Damon's features as Elena said those final four words. He looked up at her, his crystal blue eyes radiating his intense love for her that he'd confessed to several times before. Elena could see the tension coil in his body as she quickly made her way to him. She knew he waged war against his instincts to not speed over to her, but he remained resolute in his location. He had come to her so many nights and she had rejected him every time. Tonight she would approach him. Tonight she would show him how badly she needed him in her life.

Damon fastened his magnetic eyes to Elena as she hesitantly approached his rock. They stood several feet apart from each other, the sizzling air contributing to their shared heat that practically glowed from within. Elena nervously smoothed her dress down and felt warmth pool in her limbs as Damon's eyes lingered on her lean, slippery legs. His gaze slowly traveled up her body, and a low, lusty growl escaped his lips. His ragged breathing matched her own gasped inhalations. He still wanted her. Thank the gods, he still wanted her, needed her as much as she craved him.

"You came to me." Damon stared at Elena as if her mere presence in front of him had answered his deepest, most unattainable prayer. "Why?"

He looked down at her, hopefully, doubtfully. Elena met his eyes with her own as she rolled his ring around between her fingers, reveling in the smoothness of the metal against her skin. She longed to touch his hair, his face to feel that similar silkiness, and giving into that desire, she slowly walked towards him. He stood still as his eyes searched hers, bracing himself for the pleasurable singe of her touch.

Elena tentatively took Damon's left hand and cradled it between both of hers. She gently padded her thumb over his elegant fingers and paused atop the one he usually wore his ring on. Damon's breathing became even more uneven as she massaged every last nerve in his hand. She slid his ring back onto his finger and looked up at him, daring him to remove it once again. His blue eyes greedily consumed every inch of her face, devouring her the sight of her lips with such ferocious intensity that Elena ached to feel them on her. She took a deep breath.

"Don't you ever do that again," she said, repeating words he'd spoken to her several months ago. Rain continued to bombard her face as crashing thunder sounded in the near distance, echoing the relentless beating of her overactive heart. She lifted her hand to his face and smoothed inky tendrils of hair from his brow, relishing the smoothness of his dampened skin. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand, a blissful purr rumbling from his chest. Elena giggled at the primal sound, and Damon opened his eyes. He moved his face a mere inch from hers, their breath mingling together.

"Or what?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in that knowing way of his. Elena narrowed her eyes in confusion. What game was he playing at? Of course he knew what would happen if he took his ring off again.

"Or else you'll die," she stammered. Damon made a tutting sound with his tongue and shook his head. He wrapped a toned arm around Elena's slim waist and pulled her to him. Dozens of arrows shot golden heat into Elena's center as her body fit itself to Damon's.

"That's not what I asked, Elena," he said, his voice reeking of mischievous disapproval. "I want to know what you'll do if I remove my ring again. I want to know how you plan to…punish me."

Elena's tongue suddenly struggled to form an appropriate response to Damon's obvious implication. As she stammered over her words, he snaked his other arm around her and placed a strong hand in the small of her back. His fingers traced tantalizing circles up the length of her spine, and small whimpers escaped from her throat. Elena knew she'd go mad if he continued to touch her this way.

She'd also go mad if he stopped.

"I'd be…really, really mad at you," she finally spluttered, unable to say anything else. Damon smirked at her stumbled attempt at an answer as he continued to move his hands up and down her back. It wasn't fair that his hands could incite such torturous, wonderful reactions from her body.

Damon leaned into the sensitive nape of Elena's neck and nuzzled it, causing lines of sensation to streak down her body. "Would you now?" he murmured into her neck, and Elena exhaled sharply as her body hummed with stark wanting. A look of doubt crossed Damon's features, and Elena watched as he slowly backed away from her. She practically moaned from the lack of contact, but as she looked into his eyes, she knew he was seriously considering something.

"Why are you here, Elena?" he demanded, his blue eyes scanning the depths of her brown ones. Elena flinched at the harshness of his tone, but she quickly straightened herself out. Damon deserved answers, and she'd come to give them to him.

"You said that you thought of me as the sun in your life," she hesitantly began, unsure of where her words lead her. "The thing you crave so badly that you think you can never truly have."

Damon said nothing as Elena spoke. He scalded her with his scrutinizing stare, and Elena felt her pulse speed up as he waited for her to continue. She brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I was appalled when I finally learned the truth of your and Stefan's joint relationship with Katherine," Elena said, allowing the words to fall from her lips for the first time. "I didn't care that two brothers once dated the same person, but I hated hearing how she toyed with both of your emotions and manipulated you both into an unnecessary rivalry for her love. I didn't think the way she kept you both around was fair to either of your hearts, and I swore that I would never put myself in a position to have control over two people the way Katherine did over you and Stefan."

Elena studied Damon's expression. He was motionless, but she could practically see the wheels in his head turning as he processed her words. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Then I learned that I was Katherine's doppelganger, and that knowledge terrified me. I didn't want to be an exact copy of anyone, let alone a replica of the woman who'd broken both of your hearts over a hundred years ago. I was scared to become close to you because I was already crazy about Stefan, and so I smothered any potential, more than friendly feelings I had for you in order to prevent myself from evolving into Katherine. I refused to be like her. I would not let myself have you both. I convinced myself that I was perfectly happy with Stefan as my boyfriend and you as my friend, and I had to constantly assure myself that I made the right decision."

The words now flowed out of Elena as smoothly as the rainwater fell down her face. "But every now and then you did things that made me wonder what we would be like. I saw the way you looked at my lips when you first stopped me from turning myself over to the Originals, and all I could think about was pulling you to me for a taste. I wanted to know what it would be like more than anything, but I was horrified that I had these thoughts about you, and so I distanced myself again. Then you said that you'd always choose me, and again I wondered, and again I hated myself for entertaining the thought of us together. Again and again you acted towards me, and every time you looked at me I felt my resolve against you weaken a little bit more."

"And then you almost died, Damon," Elena blurted out, rushing to him. She felt heavy tears trickle down her cheeks, but she couldn't stop now. "You almost died, and as I lay with you on your bed that night, all I could think about was how I'd finally stop fighting my feelings for you if you got better. I prayed and prayed that you'd get better so I could fully experience those moments as your girlfriend. I kissed you that night because I knew I'd hate myself if I didn't take a chance on you before you died. When Katherine showed up with Klaus' blood, I could have wept with relief. You were going to be okay. We were going to be okay. But then she said that Stefan gave everything up to save you, and I felt horrible. Here I was, kissing you, being unfaithful, acting just like Katherine, while Stefan was out surrendering his goodness to the most dangerous vampire in history. I felt so guilty about what I'd done that I decided the best way to prevent myself from acting on my feelings for you again was to avoid you by any means necessary. That's why you haven't seen me these past three months. That's why I've been so unfair to you, and I'm sorry, Damon. I'm so, so sorry for hurting you." Tears flowed down Elena's face as she openly wept for the first time in months. Her soul felt light and free. She'd finally been honest with Damon. More importantly, she'd finally been honest with herself.

As Elena struggled to contain her tears, she snuck a look at Damon's face. Shock clouded his features at the depth of her confession, and he staggered backwards into an elevated rock. His knees buckled, and he sat down on the large stone. He stared into the void behind Elena for an excruciating amount of time, and the tension that momentarily fled Elena's body returned to her limbs. She had to know what he was thinking.

Damon finally looked up at Elena. His blue eyes searched the depths of her chocolate ones, and Elena felt heat pool in her loins again at the sheer intimacy of his gaze. When he spoke, his velvet voice was questioning, hopeful, and loving.

"You know that I want everything from you, Elena," he slowly said, as if divulging a secret he'd never vocalized to anyone before. She nodded and stepped to him, closing the gap between them once more. He placed his hands on her hips and leaned his head into her stomach, sighed, and looked up at her. "What do you want from me?"

Elena's answer fluttered on the tip of her tongue. She could finally say the word she'd itched to say for so long.

"Everything."

Before Elena had the chance to blink, Damon stood up, pulled her to his chest, and wrapped his arms around her as he captured her lips in a searing kiss that shot her senses into overdrive. Tiny volcanoes of pleasure erupted in Elena's bloodstream as Damon's lips molded themselves against her own. He gently nipped her lower lip, causing an avalanche of sensation throughout her body. Elena's every nerve begged to be noticed, demanded Damon's attention. She wove her fingers into his hair and gripped it tightly as his tongue probed his way into the hot caverns of her mouth. A guttural moan escaped Damon's throat as Elena broke their kiss to lavish countless tiny nibbles along his jawline. A bead of rain slunk its way down Damon's neck, and Elena hungrily traced the droplet's pattern with her mouth, thrilling herself at the way Damon's body clenched at the feel of her tongue licking his neck.

"Elena." His voice was deep and husky, dripping with love as he said her name. His hands flew to the front of her body and cupped her breasts. He ran a thumb over an erect nipple, and Elena thought she would scream from sheer stimulation. As he lowered his mouth to her clothed chest, Elena clawed at the buttons on his shirt. She needed skin on skin contact. She craved it. Her hands pulled the fabric apart, sending buttons scattering around them as she arched into his body, her hands exploring every inch of glorious muscle on his torso.

"Touch me, Damon," she breathed, choking on air as his lips closed around her covered nipple. "Damn it, touch me. I'm so needy."

"Need me," he growled, fiercely bruising her lips in another kiss as he lowered the straps of her dress. His hands squeezed her naked breasts as his strong, unyielding lips demanded access to her own. Elena backed Damon into the stone and straddled him, feeling his hard length move against her feminine core as she arched against him. She tore his shirt from his arms and ran her hands up and down his strong muscles. She dug her nails into his shoulders as he kissed a fierce trail from her mouth, down the curve of her neck, and finally stopped at her breast. He licked a circle around her nipple, and Elena cried out in ecstasy. Her body was on fire, and the feel of Damon's hard body against her only fanned the flames of her desire.

Damon tenderly cupped Elena's face as he pulled himself from her chest, and Elena nearly whimpered at the lack of contact. His crystal blue eyes gazed into hers, overflowing with pure love and need.

"I love you, Elena," he whispered, gently tracing her jaw with his thumb. "I love you so much."

Warmth overcame Elena as she gazed back into Damon's eyes. Now, in this moment, she was finally with the man she was born to be with. Damon Salvatore was her savior from a lifetime of denial. There would be no one else after him.

"There's no one but you," she said, wrapping her legs around him to pull him closer. She outlined his lips with her fingertip.

"I love you, Damon."

Damon's eyes widened. He tried to say something, but all he could do was smile. He cradled Elena's body to his.

"All I could dream about was you saying those words to me," he spoke softly, stroking Elena's hair with loving touches. "Say it again."

"I love you, Damon."

"Again."

"I love you," Elena repeated, crushing her lips to his once more. "I love you, I love you, I love you." Damon snaked his hands in her hair and tugged her back to him. A smile erupted across Elena's face as thunder ominously crashed above them. Damon grinned back at her. As Elena leaned in for another kiss, Damon's head twitched, and his neck twisted to face the other direction. Panic replaced his satisfied expression.

"Someone's here."

Alarms coursed throughout Elena's body, and she hastily jumped off Damon's lap as he moved her dress straps back to cover her chest. He took his hand in hers and tightly interlaced their fingers. As he scanned the quarry area, Elena felt spires of dread travel up her spine. Had someone been watching them? Her cheeks flushed from her mortification at their potential voyeurism. She didn't regret anything she'd done with Damon, but she hated the thought of someone peeping in on their most intimate moment.

Damon looked down at her, a wary look on his face. "We better get back to the boarding house." She nodded and let him lead her across the muddy earth by the lake. A twig snapped behind them, and Damon whirled to face the place the sound came from. He let go of Elena's hand. A twig snapped in another direction, and they both spun around, attempting to catch whoever lurked amongst the quarry shadows. As Elena nervously looked up at Damon, a blurred force rammed into him. She watched in horror as Damon flew through the air and landed on the ground with a loud slamming noise. As she ran towards Damon, another pair of strong, masculine arms twisted themselves around her waist. Elena felt the sharp pinprick of two fangs pierce her neck. She heard Damon yell her name in the distance before her world faded to black.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, guys! Thank you so much for your positive responses to Chapter 2. You really know how to make a writer feel great! As you know by now, this chapter is a lot longer than the other two ones, only because I couldn't find a good place to evenly split it into two sections. Did you mind the longer chapter, or would you rather I break it up into multiple pieces in the future?<strong>

**I've got ideas for several Delena one-shots that I'd like to write while they're still fresh in my head. Which story would you prefer to read first: Elena teasing Damon about an intimately located birthmark she has that Katherine doesn't, or what Damon does to keep Elena from dating again once she finally moves on from Stefan? I plan to write these one-shots in between chapters for this story. Don't worry, I have no plans to abandon you!**

**Again, thank you so much for your wonderful support. Please review this chapter and let me know what you think!**


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